From politics.co.uk
With a population of around 85,000, the Brighton Kemptown constituency in south east England lies south of Falmer, and south east of Coldean, south of the South Downs, on the south coast.
Following their review of parliamentary representation the Boundary Commission for England modified the Brighton Kemptown constituency taking out the Hartington Road, and Elm Grove wards [aka Hanover...and they've added Queens Park. A previous change before the '05 election was the inclusion of Peacehaven].
The wards used in the formation of the seat are Albion Hill, Bevendean, Bristol Estate, Coombe Road, Craven Vale, Eastern Road, Kemp Town, Manor Farm, Meadowview, the Marina, Moulsecoomb, Ovingdean, Queens Park, Peacehaven, Roedean, Rottingdean, Saltdean, St James's Street, Tarner, Telscombe Cliffs, Whitehawk, and Woodingdean.
The Brighton Kemptown constituency is the eastern part of Brighton and the semi-rural suburbs and villages out to the east of the seat. At its western end it includes Queen's Park ward, the centre of Brighton's gay community, then Kemptown, the council estates of Whitehawk and Moulsecoomb and then beyond the racecourse more affluent coastal villages like Woodingdean, Saltdean and the town of Peacehaven.
At the north of the seat is Brighton University's Falmer campus. Despite Moulsecoomb itself being in the constituency, Moulscoomb campus lies over the boundary in Brighton Pavilion.
The Brighton Kemptown constituency was the more Labour leaning of the two Brighton and Hove seats but it is now the more marginal.
Labour will expect to hold the Brighton Kemptown constituency at the 2010 general election after a close battle with the Conservatives although the Conservatives may make a gain here if they perform well.
Labour's small majority here would probably not survive in most other seats across the country given the current climate, although the culture of the Brighton Kemptown constituency suggests it is less vulnerable to Conservative swings than most UK seats.
On the other hand the reputation of Brighton and Hove as a left-wing city is often inflated and it is more prone to the political trends affecting middle England than its student population tend to imagine, particularly in the Brighton Kempton part of the area. Compounding this, the contemporary ethos of Sussex University is more towards scientific excellence than its outdated reputation for intellectual radicalism, which was only truly relevant in the 1960s.
The growth of Brighton's London commuter population over the years also belies the fallacy of the city's claims to a progressive nature. Given the true nature of the Brighton Kemptown constituency, Labour's unlikely strength here can be put down to the fairly large areas of social housing more than anything else.
